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A group of the Hadlow College students decided to book a session on ‘The Res’ back in June for their annual get together / social session. With the rising temperatures and high pressure over the week previous it had made the fishing difficult before they had even started.

One of the fishery bailiff’s (Callum) had a couple of days off work before their session was due to start and decided to get a head start on the others by getting down the day before. After having a look round for signs of fish, it was clear that there was a number of fish held up one of the corners on Meadow Bank in the upper layers. He was quick to grab some essentials out of the car before making his way back up to where they were.

Armed with a bag of mixers, a rod, net and a mat, he began carefully firing a few handfuls of mixers out just behind a large group of fish and it wasn’t long at all before they were cautiously picking away at them. After a frustrating hour or so they finally became confident and were taking mixers left, right and centre. After carefully placing a long floater hook length attached to a small controller float, well behind the fish, he slowly teased it back in amongst them and sat back quietly, rod in hand, waiting.

It wasn’t long at all before he had his first bite which turned out to be a cracking mid double mirror. After that, the chaos carried on and he landed 7 fish in a short morning feeding spell, the biggest being ‘Bovs’ at 32lb!

After a hectic flurry of action it stopped as quick as it started and see the swim go lifeless for the next few hours. Later that day the college students arrived at the fishery and after a lap round the lake they did the draw and were given their swims for the next 48 hours.

The first day proved pretty uneventful and it wasn’t until later that evening that the first bite came for the group, however as the session progressed a few more fish were caught from various areas of the lake.

It turned out to be a pretty eventful session for college tutor James who managed 4 fish with the biggest tipping the scales to 33lb, a fish known as ‘Rufus’. What an epic first session it turned out to be for him up on The Res.

‘Rufus’ 33lb

The highlight of the session was for one of the students who managed to smash his PB of 19lb with ‘Smithy’s Common’ at 34llb+, this was well deserved after a quiet first 24 hours. This one came on the last evening and was well celebrated with the rest of the group!

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After putting a hold to my fishing for around 3-4 years because of my military career as well as being extremely busy, I had got to a point where I had to get back into what I’d always loved growing up. The passion for carp fishing never left me but was on pause while I had to pursue a career, so with that I looked through all my neglected gear and thought “right I need a full revamp”. Luckily I had a good mate of mine, Max Leggett working for Total Fishing Tackle and with his help managed to get my gear built up again, ‘when you have no net or mat, something has gone wrong’. So with my new Nash Scope Rods and gear, I headed to more of a runs water with a good head of fish, just to build up my confidence and get a fish in the net. I’d first heard of Berners Hall Fishery through Max and TFT, and thought I’d like to give that a go. I fished twice without any success, nothing. Admittedly I was somewhat unprepared for what Berners had to offer.

I went and returned more prepared with a better idea of how to go at this lake, I turned up early that day, 8am exactly, and proceeded to walk around the lake, with nothing being seen on the first time around I went on a second lap and with that saw a fish show 3 times off an area in the teeth of the wind in front of a swim known as ‘Bailiffs’. I chucked a lead out but first only found weed, I kept at it and eventually found a clear spot that the fish must have been feeding on. I hastily set the rods up and got them out, although proving tricky in the wind. I managed to spomb some bait in and around the area with some hemp seed and Sticky Baits Krill. I then sat back and watched the water, the fish showed time and time again on the spot but with no bites, I started getting impatient. I eventually reeled them in and had some weed on the hooklink, the wind must have taken it slightly off course and missed the clear patch by a close margin, so I clipped up using the distance sticks and swapped one rod from a white pop up to a bottom bait rig using one of the new size 4 Korda Kamakura Krank Hooks with a 16mm Krill Wafter to match the hatch. The wind was picking up by the minute so with a few attempts I got them on the spot and decided for a big hit of bait seeing as they’d probably been eating what I put out before.

I sat back and ordered a Chinese as they deliver to the lake. An hour and a half went by and my phone rang, “Hi there, I have your order at the gate” as I stepped outside the bivvy on the phone to the driver, my right-hand rod ripped off and just as I was gonna bring them in and run for my Chinese! Now I was in a bit of a dilemma with this carp putting up an epic fight around the lake, and the man with the Chinese waiting for me at the gate! I was stuck, he’d have to wait. After 10 minutes the fish bobbed up to the surface and knowing the guy was going to leave any minute, I slightly rushed the carp more than I’d normally do into the net, then secured it into the retention sling and run to the gate. I knew it was a good’un but didn’t quite know how good until I got back and saw this huge great Common in my sling, being my first fish from Berners let alone undoubtedly a new PB! I rang Max who not so long ago left the office’s and gone home. His words were “I’m not coming all the way back if it’s just a scraper 30” I replied, “Come to see for yourself!”

‘Buster’ 40lb

Within the hour he was down with his camera and scales, I will never forget the look on his face when I unzipped the sling and a unit of a Common was laying there. Max knew it was a fish known as ‘Buster’ and what weight could be around, as a fellow employee caught it last, almost a year ago to the date at 38lb 6oz! But were shocked as the scales doubled round to the 40lb Mark, I was lost for words, first fish and it was Buster at a huge 40lb!!!

I’d like to thank Max for the pictures and Total Fishing Tackle with help building my gear. All that’s left to say is “Who’s next!”

“After the long, hard and stressful show season, we invited Oli Davies, Tom Forman, Lewis Porter, Seb Wright, Mike Wilson and Matt Downing from Nash Tackle to come down and have a session on Berners Hall Fishery with us guys at Total Fishing Tackle.

After having a mega session, Max took the opportunity to interview the guys individually to give you an insight into their lives. Enjoy!”

Total Fishing Tackle has released the latest video on their channel and their first ‘in-session’ video and its filmed at Berners Hall Fishery! It gives a lovely view of the lakes and a chance for you to see some of our beautiful fish on the bank.

“The first of our ‘In Session’ films, brought to you in collaboration with Nash Tackle! After the long, hard and stressful show season, we invited Oli Davies, Tom Forman, Lewis Porter, Seb Wright, Mike Wilson and Matt Downing from Nash Tackle to come down and have a session on Berners Hall Fishery with us guys at Total Fishing Tackle. In 24 hours the lads between them managed to catch plenty of carp from all three lakes to over 30lb, Mike talks you through what’s including in the new Pinpoint Hook Sharpening Kit, Lewis demonstrates his Hinge Stiff rig and generally, it was just a great social on film! Enjoy!”